1. Field of the Invention
This invention presents novel features for communications system providing Instant Messaging (IM) services, and more particularly, to additional novel features for supporting IM functionality in disconnected modes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
IM is a type of communications service that enables real-time communication between two parties over the Internet (“online”). Via the IM service, two or more individuals may engage in a real-time conversation using text-based communication.
For instance, two individuals employing systems having the same IM client software may type messages back in forth in a private chat room-type setting. Typically, the IM system alerts a user whenever a person on that user's private list (“buddy” list) is online. The user may then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. Common IM services are provided by AOL Instant Messager and MSN Messenger.
Instant Messaging has proved itself to be a compelling communication tool and has changed the way business is conducted. One limitation with most IM systems, however, is that it is not possible to communicate in a rich way with people who are not presently online. In these situations, users end up using email or adding to a message catalog to touch base with people who are not online or wait until the person comes online. By using email or equivalent methods, the advantages of real-time communication that makes instant messaging popular are lost. The problem with having to wait for the person to come back online is that the train of thought that initiated the need for communication may be lost in the meanwhile.
Currently, Yahoo's IM service allows messages to be buffered. However, all messages are catalogued into one interface. That is, any message received for a person who is not online will be able to see the message when that person logs in again. However, the recipient will only get one window displaying all messages sent while the recipient was offline and messages from all senders are placed and are shown in the same window. The user may select one message item from the window and respond. Each line (when selected) from a sender is considered a different message. There is no window per user and this makes it difficult to respond to the person who sent the buffered message. Thus, in this prior art system, there is no user selective buffering and recipients have no way of indicating that they do not want buffered messages. Furthermore, buffered messages are shown only for one login session. Thus, if the recipient logs in and does not respond to all of the buffered messages in one session and then logs out of the IM system, the recipient loses the buffered messages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,604 to International Business Machines, Inc. is directed to a method, system, and computer program product for enabling messaging systems to use alternative message delivery mechanisms. Because in existing IM systems, messages cannot be delivered to an intended recipient unless the recipient is currently logged on to an IM system, this prior art patent enables users to register one or more alternative message delivery mechanisms (such as pagers, cell phones, etc.) through which they are available as an alternative to an instant messaging system. Thus, in one embodiment described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,604, an extended IM system will select a suitable alternative and deliver the message. For example, IBM “NotesBuddy” permits a message to be converted to email and sent to the recipient if the recipient is not currently online. In other embodiments, the sender of the “instant” message will be informed of the available alternative(s) and may then choose to have his message delivered even though the intended receiver is not currently logged on to an IM system. Still other embodiments enable a message to be delivered to a recipient using a registered mechanism (that may include an IM service), and provide for determining availability of a selected user. Using these techniques, the real-time awareness of potential message receivers in IM systems is extended.
Further U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,308 to Sun Microsystems, Inc., is directed to a method and system for providing distributed parties reciprocal information regarding each other's activities that is adapted for use with instant messaging. For example, selected information regarding the availability of an intended recipient to engage in a communication session with an initiator may be provided, and the system disclosed may reciprocally inform the intended recipient of the initiator's access to such information. Further, the system described can provide a signal to an intended recipient to indicate an initiator's intention to establish a communication session.
None of these prior art messaging systems provide an IM service that enhance the user experience and IM capabilities while communicating in disconnected modes and while retrieving and responding to buffered messages. Nor do these prior art messaging systems provide the buffering at the server and maintain the context at the server and client needed to enhance the user experience and capabilities.